Replenishing the Creative Well

I'm not feeling creative right now. That used to bother me, but now I'm used to the rhythm. Creativity isn't a bottomless well. It has to be replenished. Some writers have other creative talents they can turn to, like art or music. I don't. Cooking is sort of a meditation for me, but once the fridge is packed with dinners for the following week I have to stop. So we headed out to the Getty Center today. Honestly, the art collection there isn't all that great, but the garden is spectacular. I've never been able to see it before since every time I go(once every three years or so) it rains and they close the gardens, but today was clear, so I got to spend some time wandering around it. The garden there is all about textures and light and water, not flowers, which is good because it's winter and even here few things are in bloom. That isn't to say there wasn't color. But like seasons in Los Angeles, it was subtle. Because it was so clear, the view from the museum was incredible. We could see Santa Catalina one of the other channel islands, Palos Verdes, Long Beach, and downtown LA. That new perspective on places I know so well is also good for me. Funny, I live only a couple miles from the ocean, but rarely see it. I forget how immense it is. When I do see it up close, the water looks gray, cold, and angry. But way up there on that hill, it appeared deep blue and tranquil. Perspective changes like that give me themes to dwell on. Like the garden, those ideas might not bear fruit anytime soon, but they're there, and that's all I was hoping for.